Thursday, December 14, 2006

Why we do what we do...

I think I've figured it out...Christmas presents for our children are not really for our children. They are simply for us...At least I think that is the answer to the age old question, "Why do we do this every Christmas?". I was finishing up some Christmas shopping tonight...and suddenly was really worried I didn't have enough for one of the children. Let's think about this...they are living in a relatively nice house (ok, it's not grand but it is totally functional). They have food on the table whenever I remember to feed them (I'm kidding, they would never ever let me forget to feed them)...they have pretty cute clothes...they have coats...mittens...hats...and oh yeah TOYS OUT THE WAZOO...So...what am I worried about? I know they are going to look at each other and at me someday down the road and tell me I love one of them more than the other. Which ANY MOM out there knows is not true. I love each of my children with equal 100% of love...I would do anything for any one of them. Sure, there are times one of them has a softer spot than another, for various reasons...Oldest girl says some pretty funny things...she is hilarious, without even knowing she's funny...Oldest boy, so incredibly sweet LOVES to sit on my lap and just snuggle...Babies...well, those are gimmies, they are babies, like it or not, they are the babies of the family, ALL FOUR OF US DOTE ON THEM! Tonight, baby girl wanted to be held by her 5 year old brother...she doesn't look at him as a kid, she sees him as a caretaker. Where am I going with this? Not totally sure...all I know is I really could go down to the local hardware/appliance store and ask for a refridgerator box, paint it like a store front and my kids would play for HOURS! Last night, boy baby played with paper airplanes for no less than 45 minutes...not flying them, just moving them around in his hands...so is this Christmas gift giving out of hand...yes...I do believe it is. I want to rethink it. No, I'm not taking things back this year, I did pretty well with the limited presents...went VERY slightly overboard but not so much that I regret it...but next year...next year there is some serious thought going into ANY gift we choose to purchase for them...I'm not sure I'm making sense...we think about our gifts, a lot in fact...we gave away some gifts for needy families...was it enough, probably not...probably not even close...UGH! I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

I have a REALLY close friend who is extremely thoughtful on a multitude of subjects, her children being one of them...hopefully she will read my thoughts and be my voice of reason no matter which way it should go...

1 comment:

It's weird that you posted about this because I have been having the very same thoughts about Christmas. I was thinking that I was making it so much about getting presents and gifts and all that instead of making it about Jesus' birth. Right now, I cannot even tell you if my kids really know why we celebrate Christmas besides for the presents. To really think about that, hurts my heart! I am so with you on cutting back on the gifting thing. I still want to get them presents but maybe one each and then really refocus everything back on Jesus and the gift He gave us. ....Okay, sorry. Kind of went off on a tangent there.

p.s. i started reading your blog through my sister, Amanda (the a team)

About Me

Who am I? I am a Christian. I am a mommy. I am a wife. I am a friend. I am a student. I am a goofball. I am a potty trainer. I am a lover of ice cream. I want to be a better person. I want to make the world a better place. I love helping people. I enjoy music. I love singing in the car (because my kids don't make fun of me). I want to learn more about Christ. I want to be a good student...so I can then be a great teacher. I want to make a difference in someone's life. I want to pay it forward. I want people not to have to hurt...but then I know we appreciate our happy's with our hurts. I want to understand the world. I don't want to understand the world. I want to fix everyone's problems...I want to know why I tick the way I tick...then again, sometimes I don't want to know why I tick this way, frightening stuff. I just want to be a LIGHT in this world...I want people to see something different in me...really different and I want them to ask me what it is...and I want to KNOW the answer.